Daily Times

KARACHI: Abu Dhabi Cricket (ADC) is set to put itself on the growing list of boards with T20 tournaments, launching one of its own, which will feature six teams – one each from the domestic circuit of Pakistan, South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan and England, in addition to a team from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The three-day tournament, tagged the Abu Dhabi T20 Trophy, will comprise seven games played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium from October 4 to 6. If all goes to plan, this will be the third T20 tournament – the others being the proposed Afghanistan league and another run by the Emirates Cricket Board, plus the T10 League – to be played in the UAE within the space of three months.

Lahore Qalandars from the Pakistan Super League, Yorkshire Vikings from the T20 Blast, Boost Defenders from the Shpageeza League in Afghanistan, Hobart Hurricanes from the Big Bash League and Titans from South Africa’s Ram Slam will join a team from the UAE in the competition. The tournament is sanctioned by the Emirates board and the International Cricket Council (ICC). It will be regulated by ADC, with the support of Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), a major powerhouse in UAE sports.

The ADC plans to hold the tournament on an annual basis for the next three years. The stadium has a seating capacity of a few thousand, but with the grass banks square of the wicket, is expected to comfortably accommodate 20,000 spectators. Abu Dhabi has long attempted to host prestigious cricketing events. The stadium has hosted several Pakistan home matches, and the ADC council has also been a major organiser of pre-season games for various English counties. The Sheikh Zayed Stadium, in 2009, had an agreement with the MCC which made them Associate Club partners. The first use of pink ball, in a game between MCC and Durham, also took place here in 2010.

Published in Daily Times, July 2^nd 2018.